March 2026

Spotted: Western Market Insights You Can't Ignore

Gossip Girl here - your one and only source into the Western energy markets elite. And we have got some news for you: industry stakeholders across the region are weighing in on which market is better for the West. Read on to see what else we spotted this month, including the inside scoop on market developments and the latest gossip from around the region.

- - - - XOXO, Leah Rubin Shen, Managing Director at Advanced Energy United

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The Scandalous Lives of Seams

Spotted: EDF and NRDC both put out pieces this month that discuss the benefits of joining the ROWE and the reality of managing seams across the West. In an op-ed in RTO Insider, EDF's Alex DeGolia and Michael Bueno highlight that market decisions should prioritize customer savings and reliability, pointing to their recent analysis showing that EDAM offers the strongest benefits for Arizona utilities. NRDC's Kelsie Gomanie's latest blog urges Western grid operators to move beyond rhetoric and urgently address the seams that will occur between EDAM and Markets+, warning that without concrete coordination, data sharing, and binding agreements, a fragmented market will drive up costs and reliability risks.

These pieces respond to SPP's efforts to downplay the risks of seams and commentary from Arizona Corporation Commission Chair Nick Myers, who also authored an RTO Insider op-ed arguing that CAISO's public focus on seams is really about preserving its control over market governance and viewing Markets+ as a threat to its influence.

Market Updates

Regional Organization for Western Energy (ROWE) Making Moves

Several EDAM entities, including PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, Public Service Company of New Mexico, NV Energy, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, have started drafting a resource adequacy proposal to bring to the ROWE. This comes after many participants expressed interest in an alternative to the Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP). The goal is to create a program that would build on the successes of the WEIM and EDAM and strengthen reliability and regional coordination.

The ROWE is also reviewing comments from Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming calling for bylaws to guarantee states have access to market data and independent oversight in an effort to strengthen transparency and maintain state autonomy in the market.

Lastly, CAISO is moving forward with an $8.5 million plan to fund the ROWE that would cover board payments, staffing, equipment, and other start-up costs. Repayment would begin in 2028 through small fees on WEIM and EDAM market participants. The CAISO board will vote at the end of April on the proposal.

SPP's RTO West to Launch Tomorrow

RTO West is making its big debut into the West on April 1. After more than a decade in the making, future participants approved the go-live deadline with unanimous support. The expansion comes after extensive outreach to, and collaboration with, Western entities. Participants at go-live include Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Colorado Springs Utilities, Deseret Power Electric Cooperative, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, Platte River Power Authority, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and the Western Area Power Administration’s Upper Great Plains-West region, Colorado River Storage Project and Rocky Mountain region.

WEIM Expands into a New State

Black Hills Energy and PowerWatch (formerly BHE Montana) are set to join the WEIM on May 6, extending the market’s geographical reach into South Dakota. With Black Hills joining the fold, the WEIM will now have participants from 12 states.

Updates Around the Region

Montana

At the most recent Montana Energy & Technology Interim Committee hearing, decision-makers heard presentations about the state's options for joining a regional energy market. I presented United's new report, "A Pathway to a West-Wide Energy Market: Affordability, Reliability, and Choice," and representatives from BHE Montana and Renewable Northwest also spoke about the economic and reliability benefits of participating in regional markets.

Nevada

The Nevada PUC will vote on Friday, April 3, on NV Energy's request to join EDAM. NV Energy cites EDAM's design, footprint, and reliability benefits as reasons to join, while opponents stress fairness and governance oversight.

Washington

New in town: Grant County Public Utility District and Tacoma Power announced their commitment to join Markets+. Both entities had already signed a $150 million funding agreement to support Markets+ development. They will officially join Markets+ in October 2028.

BPA released a draft decision confirming its plan to join Markets+ in October 2028. BPA is also planning on exiting from the WEIM by October 2027 as it prepares to join Markets+. Some stakeholders are side-eyeing the yearlong hiatus as a "Jesus take the wheel moment."

Northwest stakeholders are buzzing about BPA's search for a new administrator, stressing the importance of the next administrator being qualified and able to uphold BPA's mission and balance the interests of utilities, tribes, and other stakeholders.

Advanced Energy United

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